How do I book an open water swim at Swim Lakeside?
All Swims MUST be pre-booked via the ACTIO App. All swimmers must be NOWCA members You can register as a NOWCA member on ACTIO app if you are not already a member. You cannot swim if you are not booked in via the ACTIO app.
As a NOWCA swimmer, you will be part of the largest open water swimming community in the UK, with a community of 20,000+ swimmers already, you’ll be in great company.
Just like all our swimmers, you will get your NOWCA wristband which tracks your swim performance, it’s exactly the same as wearing a chip at a triathlon. Everything is recorded online for you and from here you’ll be able to manage your leisure swimming and racing profile.
Your wristband is just a small part of a bigger safety system which helps to keep you and everyone else safe in the water. Your open water swimming operators follow a proven and robust safety system based around having a raised awareness of YOU in the open water. Keep your medical and personal details up to date on your profile to help them out.
You’ll be able to purchase bulk swims, events, other activities or even equipment hire and store them on your band, which means, you don’t have to carry cash every time you swim anymore!
What are the admissions criteria for open water swimming?
To take part in our open water swimming sessions you must:
Have pre-booked via the ACTIO app and sign in at reception using your NOWCA wristband.
Be age 11 and over. U16's need an accompanying adult from the water household in the water with them.
Be capable of completing a 400m continuous swim.
Wear a brightly coloured swim hat, goggles and tow bag at all times. Wetsuits are mandatory, except in July & August when the water temp is above 16c. If you choose to not wear a wetsuit this will increase the risk of cold water shock.
Not have any medical condition that affects your ability to safely take part in open water swimming. If unsure, I will seek the advice of a GP.
Do I have to be a NOWCA member to swim at Swim Lakeside? Can I try it out before I join?
Swims MUST be pre-booked via the ACTIO App. Swimmers must be NOWCA members and can use their existing credits to book swimming. You can register as a NOWCA member on ACTIO app if you are not already a member. You cannot swim if you are not booked in via the ACTIO app. If you are new to open water, we suggest coming to an Introduction to Open Water Session.
I've just joined NOWCA - when and how do I collect my band?
You can collect your NOWCA wristband at your first swim session at Swim Lakeside. Simply Check-in for your swim at our watersports centre we will issue it for you there. Please arrive no earlier than 15 mins before your swim start time. You will need to bring this band each time you swim. Bands cannot be shared and will be linked to a photo of you which we will take when we issue the band.
When is Swim Lakeside open?
The Demand is high and we have a limited number of swimmers per session. All our availability is seen on the ACTIO app. We advise booking early to avoid disappointment.
Where can I view my bookings?/ I can't see all my bookings for Swim Lakeside?
You can view your bookings in the ACTiO app by clicking on the account icon (bottom right of home screen). You will also receive an email confirmation for each booking – we advise you to retain these.
PLEASE NOTE this will only show 10 bookings. If you book more than 10 sessions then the most recent booking replaces the oldest booking. We advise you to add them to your personal calendar and retain confirmation emails if you plan on booking more than 10 sessions.
Can I change my Swim Lakeside booking?
All bookings are final and non-transferable so please take extra care when booking. We have got a no refund policy on bookings paid for individually. This is because we lose booking fees on both the transaction and the refund.
Is the lake clean?
Yes! the water quality is tested regularly to ensure it meets EU open water bathing standards, the lake is treated and aerated to ensure it stays healthy and clean for our visitors.
How do I book a swim for a U18 child/register as child?
If your child is confident in the water, capable of completing a 400m continuous swim and meets the admissions criteria they can take part in a Swim Lakeside session. An over 18 from the same household must join U16's in the water.
Please see the info below from NOWCA about how to register them and book sessions for them as a parent/guardian.
Customers – register a child instructions
Parents can now sign up their child online via the KScan website (not ACTiO)
Parent non swimmers – sign up here: https://kscan.co/parent-registration.
The parent sets up an account for themselves (just a name and email address is all that is needed – no payment) and then they can add their child’s/children’s full profile during this registration process. Current NOWCA swimmers who want to sign up a child to their account can do so through their own account by selecting ‘Child Accounts’ (https://kscan.co/child-accounts) and following the registration prompts.
Register & pay for child – annual payment with card via Stripe
In both cases the child requires a unique username which will be needed to log into their account with the following rules.
Spaces are allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for full stops, hyphens, apostrophes, and underscores.
Child(ren) gets an appended email address ie parentemail+child1@yahoo.co.uk
Once the accounts are linked
Parent will receive all emails for child(ren)
Parent will be able to see child summary account info if when logged in their NOWCA account online & select ‘child accounts’ from the menu. This is where customer pays child’s annual renewal by card
To access a child’s full account, online or on the app ACTiO, login with their unique user name & the password created during registration
Please note ACTiO is intended for use by one person only – you will need to login/out to access more than 1 account or download app to multiple devices.